Means for gaging sheet metal in cutting.



W. S. REYNOLDS. MEANS FOR GAGING SHEET METAL IN CUTTING.

APPLICATION rum) 11110.30, 1910.

1,003,373. 3 Patented Sept. 12,1911.

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MEANS PORQGAGING snnn'r METAL IN CUTTING.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 30, 1910. v

' Patented Sept. 12,1911.

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W. S. REYNOLDS.

MEANS FOR GAGING SHEET METAL IN 'OUTTING.

APPLIOATIQN FILED DBO. 30, 1910.

Patented se u 12,1911.

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WINFIELD S. REYNOLDS, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR GAGING SHEET METAL IN CUTTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Application filed December 30, 1910. Serial No. 600,102.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TVINFIELD S. REYN- OLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Gaging Sheet Metal in Cutting, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for gaging sheet metal in the act of cutting or punching pieces from sheet metal, for various uses such as for the ends of cans.

The invention has in view means for gaging sheet metal while it is being cut' or punched out, so as to enable the cutting out of pieces from a whole sheet so that the workman has simply to pick up a whole sheet from the pile, and then cut out the desired pieces, without first having to subject the sheet to intermediate handling consisting in severing the sheet centrally and longitudinally from end to end, thereby dispensing with the additional expense of the sevcring or slit-ting machinery and the additional labor incident to its use.

A further object of the invention is to cut out whole sheets longitudinally, either straight or staggered, into rounds, squares or oblongs.

A further object is to obtain the greatest etliciency from the sheet to be cut, and also to obviate the necessity of having gages for each individual die used in the press.

A further object of the invention is to provide gaging means which are adjustable within all practical requirements, limited only by the depth of the throat of the press.

Further objects of the invention are to provide simple practical and efficient means for gaging sheet metal or other sheet material when cutting pieces therefrom.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described, and then pointed out in the claims, with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing a desirable form of the invention, in which Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of so much of a power press as is usually used in cutting sheet metal, with the improved means for gaging applied; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gaging means, shown in bolts 5, 5.

connection with so much of the die and the press as is necessary to indicate the position of the gage. Fig. 8 is a sectional front elevation on the line 3-3 Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 Fig. 2; and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views in which a sheet of metal is shown, said views illustrating the various steps of the process of cutting out the sheet metal.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the throat of a power press such as is used by manufacturers of sheet metal goods, is represented by the space between the lower part or bed 1 of the press and the housing 1 which is located above it. In the housing 1 the punch 2 of suitable construction is guided, while upon the bed 1 a die 3 of suitable construction is rigidly mounted.

A detailed illustration of the mentioned parts is not necessary as the same will be apparent to those skilled in the art of working sheet metal.

Before detailing the improvements of the' present invention, it should first be mentioned that in cutting out pieces of sheet metal for can ends or the like, a stop or gage such as 32 is used and such stop is also used in connection with my improvements, but heretofore it has been the practice to use but one edge gage for a given size of piece or can end in connection with each die, so that whenever a die is changed for another die, a different gage has to be mounted upon the machine.

My improved gaging means is fully illus trated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and comprises a main base 4C which is secured to the lower part or bed 1 of the press as by screw Said main base 4 is arched so as to provide an opening 4;, which is for the purpose of accommodating the heads of screws or bolts of the machine, and for the passage of a sprocket chain to be hereinafter described, and which is preferably used in connection with my improvements. The said main base 4 is provided with slots 4 4 through which the attaching bolts or screws 5, 5 pass. Adjustability of the main base 4 in the direction of the die 3 is permitted by means of the said slots 4 4: and the screws or bolts 5, 5. Mounted upon the main base 4 is a supplemental base 6 which is secured to the main base by means of screw boltsv 7, 7,1 which pass through slots 7*, 7 of the supplemental base, thereby permitting an adjustment of the supplemental base 6 upon the main base 4 in a direction at right angles to the direction of the adjustment of the main base. As will appear more clearly hereafter, these two adjustments, namely of the main base and of the supplemental base, enable the adjustment of the gages hereinafter described to the re:

' quirementsof die'S. The movements permitted by these two adjustments enable what might be termed a stagger feed. Upon the supplemental base 6 a. gage is mounted and this gage may be said to conplane'and overhangs the plate 9. It is evident from the drawings that the plates 8 and 9 and the strip of angle metal 10 and 11 extend from one side of the press toward the die such as 3, thereby locating said parts along a line which extends in front of the operator from the right toward the left. The said member 10 of the strip of angle metal 10, 11 constitutes a guide for one edge of a sheet of metal to be cut in the press, while the other member 11 constitutes a retaining lip for the edge of the piece of sheet metal which is guided along guide 10 by the operator. The said member 10 forming the guide, substantially corresponds with the single gage which was used in the art before the present invention. Shafts or spindles 12, 13 are mounted to turn in suitable bearings 14 at the ends of the supplemental base 6. These spindles are parallel and are suitably geared together so that they may be turned in unison by means of the operator who applies a key, usually retained by the foreman, to the forward end of one or the other of said spindles, according to convenience, depending upon whether the workman is right or left handed. The forward ends of said spindlesare secured or made of a shape to fit the end of the key referred to. Said spindles receive collars 15 which are rigidly fixed thereto, and which abut against the rear ends of the bearings 14 for the purpose of precluding the forward movement of the spindles. Keyed upon the forward ends of the spindles 12, 13 are sprocket wheels 16, 17 the hubs 18 of which abut against the forward ends of the bearings 14 and prevent the spindles from shifting rearwardly. Thus the spindles are permitted to rotate, but are prevented from moving longitudinally. A sprocket chain 19 is trained over the sprocket wheels 16 and 17 so that the two spindles 12, 13 are connected to be rotated in unison. The under lap of said sprocket chain is guided through the opening 4 in the main base 4, while the upper lap of said chain passes over the supplemental base 6.

Auxillary gages now to be described are mounted upon the spindles 12, 13.

A plate 20 has screwed or otherwise secured thereto, a strip of angle metal which provides a guide 21 and a retaining lip 22, corresponding with similar parts of the described gage 10, 11. The gage 20, 21 and 22 is arranged parallel with the gage in front of it and is provided at its underside with nuts 28 which are secured to the plate 20 by means of screw bolts 23*, and the spindles 12, 13 pass through said nuts, said spindles being screw threaded at 24 for a portion of their lengths, and the said nuts 23 being of course correspondingly screw threaded. A second auxiliary gage is mounted back of the first auxiliary gage, and is also parallel with said gage as well as with the other gage 10, 11. Said second auxiliary gage comprises a plate 25 to which is screwed or otherwise suitably fastened a strip of angle metal which provides a guide 26 and an overhanging retaining lip 27, similar in function to the corresponding parts heretofore described. Upon the underside of the strip 25 is secured as by means of screws 28, screw nuts 28 which are engaged by threaded portions 24 on the spindles 12, 13. Obviously other auxiliary gages may be added, but my invention will be sufficiently clear as presented. The threads 24 of the screw spindles are of corresponding pitch; likewise the threads of the nuts 23, so that upon turning the spindles the said nuts and the gage supported thereby may be adjusted to or from the front and relatively fixed gage, but while the threads 24 of the screw spindles and the nuts 28 are correspondingly pitched for securing forward and rearward adjustment of the rear gage, said threads 24 have a greater pitch than that of the threads 24, the proportion being two to one, so that in turning the spindles for adjusting the auxiliary gages, the rear gage will be moved at twice the speed of the intermediate gage. It is obvious that this difference of speed of adjustment is necessary, because the rear gage must be adjusted relatively to the intermediate gage, a distance corresponding to the adj ustment of the intermediate gage relative to the front or relatively fixed gage. The spindles 12, 13 are reduced at 29 for the purpose of separating the screw threads 24, 24. As it is desired that the gages have a suliicient scope of adjustment, it is preferable to enlarge the screw threaded bore of the nuts 23 at 30, for the purpose of permitting the screw threaded portions 24* of said spindles to receive the unthreaded portions at 30 of said nuts, while the screw threaded bores of the nuts 28 are enlarged at 31 so as to permit the threaded portions 24 of the screw spindles to enter the unthreaded portions 31 of said nuts 28. Obviously the forward ends of the screw threads 24; will be re-- ceived in the unthreaded portions 30 of nuts 23 when the intermediate gage is adjusted to its rearward limit of motion, while the rear ends of the screw threads 24 will be received in the unthreaded portions 31 of nuts 28 when both of the auxiliary gages are adjusted to their foremost positions.

In gaging a sheet to be punched out, it is obvious that each of the gages described corresponds in function with the single gage ordinarily employed for the same purpose with the exception, of course, that the gages have the additional advantage of adjustment, both individually and relatively to each other. For facilitating the guiding of a sheet of metal along the guide of either of the gages, the retaining lips 11, 22 and 27 of the gages are inclined slightly as will appear from Figs. 1 and 3, so that the guiding space under each lip will converge from the outer end of the gage toward the inner end from which the sheet being cut emerges. Another point which should be observed in the best form of the present invention is that the inner or sheet emerging ends of the gages be effect as shown in the plan view Fig. 2, that is to say, the forward end a of the second auxiliary gage is located in ad vance of the forward end Z) of the intermediate gage, and the forward end I) of said intermediate gage is in turn in advance of the forward end 0 of the first or rela tively fixed gage. The reason for this desirable feature is that the distance of the intermediate gage from the axis of the die is greater than that of the relatively fixed gage therefrom, and likewise the distance of the second auxiliary gage is still greater. Now, as the distance of each of the auxiliary gages from the axis of the die is greater than the distance of the gage at the front, it is obvious that there would be a greater tendency to twist or shift the sheet of metal from a rectilinear line with respect to the axis of the die than if said guiding edge was located as near to the die as is the front gage. Of course, this tendency to shift or get out of proper position is increased, the farther a guide is located from the rectilinear line along which the sheet should at all times be guided.

The improved gaging means is used as follows: The workman starts with a whole sheet and not with a divided sheet as commonly practiced, and first of all preferably ends of such lines.

34 with stop 32,

recovers from the sheet smaller sizes of ends than those which are to be cut out of the sheet as determined by the die to be used for the main work. This recovery is determined by the sizes of the pieces which are to be cut out from the entire sheet such as 33. Given a certain size of sheet and a certain size of die to be used in the main work, it is an easy matter to determine just how large the amount of recovery shall be, which recovery can be of round, square or oblong shapes for smaller cans. If, for instance, the main pieces to be cut out are four inches in diameter, the workman so plots out the sheet as that there will be an overlap as com monly practiced of one-eighth of the diameter of the piece to be out out, that is to say one-half an inch. When the main pieces are cut out staggered across the entire sheet as is practiced under the present invention, it will be possible to recover at each end of the sheet two pieces of metal for smaller shapes as at 84, 34*, indicated in Fig. 6. The amount of recovery is equal to one-half times three-fourths of the diameter of the circles to be cut out from the main part of the sheet. At 34, 34: the recovery is indicated as in the form of oblong pieces, and the depth thereof extends under the best practice to within one-sixteenth of an inch from the forward edges of the circles or main pieces to be cut out, at points in advance of the intermediate and alternate lines of circles, and the same applies at the rear In carrying out my invention, one may take for examplea sheet which is to be cut out from side to side so that there are five lines of circles, the odd lines of circles being started at one-sixteenth of an inch from the front edge of the sheet, while the even lines of circles in front of which the small pieces are recovered, start as stated one-sixteenth of an inch behind the recovery spaces. In carrying out the method, the front edge of the sheet is made to abut against the stop 32 at points in front of the odd lines along which the main pieces are to be out, while after the small pieces have been recovered at 34, 34:, the rear edges of the openings from whence the small pieces have been out are made to abut against the said stop 32. Having made the recovery, the workman now starts to cut out the main work. Firstthe rear edge of the sheet 33 is guided along the guide 26 of the rear auxiliary gage until the front edge of the sheet strikes the stop 32. The press being now started, the workman successively cuts out the blanks or ends 35 along the central longitudinal portion of the sheet until no more can be cut out along that line. He then shifts the sheet forwardly and engages the rear edge of the sheet with the guide 21 and the edge of the sheet behind the opening at as indicated in Fig. 7, and

he then feeds the sheet forward step by step until pieces or ends 36 have been cut out along the line next to the middle line of the sheet. The openings at 36 are staggered relative to the openings at 35. Next the workman shifts the sheet forwardly again, bringing the rear edge of the sheet in con tact with the guide 10 of the relatively fixed front gage and brings the front edge of the sheet against the stop 32, the press cutting out pieces or ends 37 along the rear portion of the sheet, so that the openings, at 87 are staggered relative to the openings last formed, and are laterally opposite the openings first formed. Three lines of openings will thus be formed in one side of the sheet 33. To cut out from the other side of the sheet, the workman now turns the sheet over and brings the opposite edge of the uncut portion of the sheet against the intermediate guide ofthe first auxiliary gage, the second auxiliary gage being used but once in the operation. The workman of course places the rear edge of the opening out of which piece 34 has been recovered against stop 32, and the workman then proceeds to cut outpieces or ends along that line. Next the workman shifts the sheet forwardly and brings its rear edge against the guide 10 of the forward gage, and the forward edge of the sheet against the stop32 and proceeds to cut out ends or pieces along that line. Thus the entire sheet is cut with the result that there have been five lines of pieces or ends cut from the sheet, and all of the possible stock of the sheet is used up for ends. The openings in the sheet will be staggered fromside to side of the sheet. When other sizes of ends are to be cut out from the sheet, the proper size of sheet which will give the least loss of stock is preferably used, and the corresponding or appropriate die mounted in the press. The gages are then adjusted as a whole by adjusting first the base plate 4 in one direction and the supplemental base piece 6 in the direction at right angles thereto, thereby adjusting the forward or relatively fixed gageto proper position. The screw spindles 12, 13 are then turned and the auxiliary gages properly adjusted, either toward or from the forward gage according to whether a smaller or a larger die has been placed in the press. Thus the gages are adjusted for any size of die, and are always in position on the press, and need not be removed therefrom for the substitution of a separate gage as is commonly practiced. It will be seen more particularly from Figs. 4 and 5 that the gages are a little higher, the one above the other, starting from the forward gage. This is for the purpose of enabling the sheet to be cut out to be introduced under either one of the retaining lips of the auxiliary gages without interference by the gage or gages which are in front, such gages being under the sheet and the sheet riding over them.

Obviously the improved gaging means may be used in connection with the cutting of narrow strips from which a single row of ends is to be cut, or with any width of sheet for any desired number of rows of ends. Also, without adjusting the gages after once setfor a given size of end, it is possible without readjusting the gages to cut larger circles twice the size of said given size, by skipping the intermediate gage or alternate even gages if there be five gages. The invention is not restricted to any given number of gages. It is obvious that the gage attachment can be adjusted to any height, depending upon the depth of the dies, by introducing wedges or filling pieces under the main base of the attachment.

What I claim as new is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of a plurality of gages mounted on said press back of and to one side of said die, and means for simultaneously adjusting the gages relatively to the die.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of at least three parallel gages mounted on said press, means for adjusting the gages relatively to the die, and means for simultaneously adjusting them relatively to each other.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of at least three parallel gages mounted on said press, means for adjusting the gages relatively to the die, and means for simultaneously adjusting them laterally relatively to each other.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adjustable relatively to the die in a substantially horizontal direction, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base in a different and substantially horizontal direction, and a plurality of gages mounted on said supplemental base.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adjustable relatively to the die in a substantially horizontal direction, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base in a difi'erent and substantially horizontal direction, and a gage mounted on said supplemental base.

6; In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adjustable relatively to the die in one direction, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base in a different direction, a plurality of gages mounted on said supplemental base, and means for antomatically adjusting the gages relatively to each other.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a power press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adjustable relatively to the die in one direction, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base in a different direction, a plurality of gages mounted on said supplemental base, and means for automatically adjusting the gages relatively to each other but in the direction of adjustment of one of said bases.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of a plurality of parallel gages mounted on said press, means for adjusting the gages relatively to the die, and means for automatically adjusting two of said gages relatively to one of them at relatively different speed.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adjustable relatively to the die, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base, a gage on said supplemental base, a spindle journaled in said supplemental base and having a screw-threaded portion, and a second gage provided with a screw-nut for said screw-threaded portion.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adj ustable relatively to the die, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base, a gage on said supplemental base, a spindle journaled in said supplemental base and having a plurality of differently pitched threads, and a plurality of gages provided with a plurality of screw-nuts, one for each thread and pitched to correspond.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of a plurality of gages supported on'the press relatively to the die, and adjusting means for some of said gages provided with differently pitched screw parts.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination wit-h a press and die, of a main base mounted on said press and adjustable relatively to the die, a supplemental base adjustable relatively to said main base, a gage on said supplemental base, a pair of spindles journaled in said supplemental base, means for gearing said spindles together, each of said spindles having a screwthreaded portion, and a second gage provided with screw-nuts for said screwthreaded portions.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of means on said press for gaging a sheet to punch out its middle portion, and means for thereafter gaging the sheet to punch out the remaining portions, said combined gaging means being located behind and to one side of said die.

14. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of means on said press for gaging a sheet to punch out its longitudinal middle portions, means for gaging the remainder of the sheet to punch out second longitudinal portions, and means for gaging the sheet to punch out final portions, said combined gaging means being located behind and to one side of said die.

15. In a device of the character described, the combination with a press and die, of a plurality of gages supported on the press and relatively to the die, and means for moving some of said gages at different speeds.

16. In means for gaging sheets, the combination of at least three parallel gages, and means for automatically adjusting at least two of said gages relatively to one of them.

17. In means for gaging sheets, the combination of a main base adjustable in asubstantially horizontalv plane, a supplemental base mounted upon and adjustable relatively to said main base, and a plurality of gages mounted on said supplemental base,

said main base being constructed for adjustment in the direction of the length of said gages.

18-. In means for gaging sheets, the combination of a main baseadjustable in a substantially horizontal plane, a supplemental base adjustable relatively tosaid main base, a plurality of gages on said supplemental base, and means for adjusting the gages relatively to each other, said main base being constructed for adjustment in the direction of the length of said gages.

19. In means for gaging sheets, the combination of a plurality of gages, means for adjusting the gages as a whole, and means for adjusting two of said gages relatively to one of them at relatively different speed.

20. In means for gaging sheets, the combination of a plurality of gages, and means for adjusting some of said gages relatively to another of said gages, said means being provided with differently pitched screw parts.

21. In means for gaging sheets, the com bination of a main base, a supplemental base mounted on said main base, a gage fixed relatively to said supplemental base, a pair of spindles journaled in said supplemental base, means for gearing said spindles together, each of said spindles having a screw threaded portion, and a second gage provided with screw nuts engaged by said screw threaded portions.

22. In a device of the character described,

has 1,003,373

the combination withapluitality oft-parallel parallel gages, illld-lIlGELllSrfOl" adjusting said gages, of means foradjusting said gages gages"simultaneously iirtheir lengthwise disimultaneously in two angularly clisposedi rection and laterally relative to saiddie.

directions but in substantially the salnel WINFIELD S. REYNOLDS. plane. WVitnesses:

* 23. In a deyice of the character clescribed,; G120. L. WHEELOOK,

the combination With a die, of a plurality, o f MAXWELL GREENBERGER.

j-Gopies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents :each, by iaddressingzthe "flCommissioneroffs/cents. Washington, D. .6. 

